Canggu was not on my radar for our next trip to Bali as I felt that I hadn’t really seen Seminyak the last time we were there. But a friend recommended it as one of his favorite places and the Berawa Beach is right on its coast, so we thought we’d give it a go.
Canggu was less about yoga and site seeing and more about exploration and relaxation. We wandered around for as long as our legs would take us, and most nights K and I would go to dinner on our own while my mom-in-law and nanny stayed back to relax while E was sleeping – we would just bring food back for them.
Generally, I was pleasantly surprised about how it felt more like a village than a city unlike Ubud and Seminyak (Seminyak probably has the biggest city vibe). It definitely has its share of trendy shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, but the vibe was far more relaxed and more beachy than anywhere we had been so far in Bali. The most interesting thing that we found was that it’s also a remote working hot spot and loads of coworking spaces are popping up all over the place as a result.
I wouldn’t mind heading back there again and working remotely from there too!
Getting around: Please refer to Part 1 – Ubud
Where we stayed:
Our Airbnb in Canggu was so nice and super unexpected. Yes, we saw pictures of it before booking, but we had no idea that it was a completely open villa. The outdoor pool is the first thing you see when you walk in, then to the right is the open air living room, dining area and kitchen. Three bedrooms were lined up on the back wall, but those were closed off and had strong AC and clean, full, closed bathrooms. As much as I liked the open air concept, I am so happy that the rooms and bathrooms could at least be cool and free of mosquitos (unless they snuck in). The only thing I think we had to be weary of, is keeping the front area clean as ants were quick to the scene if they smelled anything sweet on the ground. The coolest part of the villa was of course the super accessible pool and being able to watch the crazy rain so closely.
What we saw:
- Berawa Beach – It was nice to check out because we love beaches, but it’s definitely more of a surfers beach with its crazy tides and constantly changing shorelines. The water is, however, really warm, and doesn’t freeze your face off if it attacks you from behind.
- Finn’s Beach Club – It was the perfect place to set up shop for the day and was relatively “empty” during a weekday in the off-season.
- Canggu streets
- Seminyak Village – We were really only in here because The Spring Spa location we went into was located here
- The Spring Spa – Love their hair creme baths
- Some Seminyak streets
Where to eat:
- Barbacoa
- Nude
- Finn’s Beach Club
- Cinta Cafe
- Gelato Shack
- Merah Putih
- Expat Roasters
- Shady Shack
- Milu by Nook
- Coffee n Oven
A friend was making fun of me after watching my Instagram stories because all I kept saying of the food was that it was all “SO GOOD”. So with this in mind, I do want to clearly say that yes, I really enjoyed all of the restaurants and cafes we went to except for one in Canggu – Tygr Sushi. It is super highly rated which made us go there, but K and I weren’t fans of it.
Where to shop:
I don’t have a favorite place that I loved shopping at, but there are loads of shops up and down the main streets of Canggu and Seminyak ranging from small cheap tourist spots to fancy boutiques and everything in between. I did, however, think that the middle tiered shops were fairly affordable. You could find anything you need or just build out your vacation, beachy wear.
Edited by: Betty Ho
One thought on “Bali Round 2: 3 Days in Ubud and 3 Days in Canggu – Part 2”